Table 1 Summary of results for trials from 2000 onwards
From: Validation of the global resource of eczema trials (GREAT database)
| Review | Number of RCTs included in the review | Proportion of included eczema RCTs found in GREAT | Reasons for RCTs missing from GREAT | Sensitivity of the GREAT database (all missing RCTs) | Sensitivity of GREAT (RCTs missing in error) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochrane reviews | |||||
| Ashcroft et al. 2007 [6] | 31 | 23/31 | Unpublished trial records obtained from a pharmaceutical company (n = 5) A report of the same trial was present in GREAT, but the citation for the included study was not (n = 2). One trial not included in GREAT in error (n = 1). | (23/31) 74% | (28/31) 87% |
| Bath-Hextall et al. 2008 [7] | 2 | 2/2 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Birnie et al. 2008 [8] | 7 | 6/7 | Trial was not aiming to ‘treat’ the eczema, only reduce bacterial numbers (n = 1). | (6/7) 91% | 100% |
| Boyle et al. 2008 [9] | 11 | 10/11 | Filtered incorrectly in error, should have been an included trial (n = 1) | (10/11) 91% | (10/11) 91% |
| Ersser et al. 2007 [9] | 4 | 4/4 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Zhang et al. 2005 [11] | 1 | 1/1 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Totals for Cochrane reviews | 56 included RCTs | 46/56 RCTs included in the GREAT database | 10 trials missing from the GREAT database | (46/56) 82% | (52/56) 93% |
| Non Cochrane Reviews | |||||
| Schram et al. 2011 [12] | 2 | 2/2 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Yin et al. 2011 [13] | 4 | 4/4 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Svensson et al. 2007 [14] | 17 | 14/17 | Abstract which did not present information about results (n = 1). Two Japanese phase II RCTs which fit GREAT inclusion criteria reported only within a review, omitted from GREAT in error.(n = 2) | (14/17) 82% | (14/17) 82% |
| Simonart et al. 2011 [15] | 1 | 1/1 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Schmitt et al. 2011 [16] | 8 | 8/8 | No trials missing from the GREAT database | 100% | 100% |
| Totals for non-Cochrane Reviews | 32 included RCTs | 29/ 32 RCTs included in the GREAT database | 3/32 trials missing from the GREAT database | (29/32) 91% | (29/32) 91% |
| Totals for Cochrane and Non-Cochrane reviews | 88 included RCTs | 75/88 RCTs included in the GREAT database | 13/88 trials missing from the GREAT database | (13/88) 85% | (81/88) 92% |